Android spinner is null

Question

Here's my main activity. My spinner is null even though it's already been initialized. My app crashes whenever any of the layout elements is accessed

and for the life of me I cannot figure out why. I've spent quite a while on this, researched a lot of posts online for a solution and tried a number of fixes. Nothing has worked so far. Any ideas?

Also, ignore the date creation/sorting code. It's very messy, I already have a neater way of doing it but won't implement it until I have this part fixed.

Note: The id's are all correct in my layouts, I'm very sure that's not the problem.

public class RADIO_Live extends FragmentActivity {

SectionsPagerAdapter mSectionsPagerAdapter;

ViewPager mViewPager;
View fragviewLive;
View fragviewPod;

private int mYear, mMonth, mDay, cYear, cMonth, cDay;
private TextView mCurrentDate;
private TextView mSelectedDate;
private TextView TextCurrentTime;
private TextView TextTotalTime;

boolean firstRUN = true;

SeekBar Podseekbar;
int myProgress = 0;
int podMax = 0;
int CurrentPosition = 0;

boolean playerPODon = false;        // variable to keep track if live stream player and podcast player is on or off and if podacast player is paused
boolean playerPODon1st = true;

String mMonthName, cMonthName, cMonthFullName;
String podFileTest, podPlayName, SelectedHour, SelectedDate = null;
String showdate, HourShowText = null;

String[] podDates = new String[14];
String[] podDatesName = new String[14];
int testDay = 0;
int dayOfWeek;

private final Handler UIhandler = new Handler();

@Override
public void onCreate(Bundle savedInstanceState) {
    super.onCreate(savedInstanceState);
    setContentView(R.layout.main);
    // Create the adapter that will return a fragment for each of the three primary sections
    // of the app.
    mSectionsPagerAdapter = new SectionsPagerAdapter(getSupportFragmentManager());

    //context.startService(serviceIntent);
    startService(new Intent(this, RADIO_Service.class));

    // Set up the ViewPager with the sections adapter.
    mViewPager = (ViewPager) findViewById(R.id.pager);
    mViewPager.setAdapter(mSectionsPagerAdapter);
    fragviewPod = getLayoutInflater().inflate(R.layout.podcasts, null);

    // Capture the textview elements
    mCurrentDate = (TextView) fragviewPod.findViewById(R.id.currentdateDisplay);
    mSelectedDate = (TextView) fragviewPod.findViewById(R.id.selecteddateDisplay);

    TextTotalTime = (TextView) fragviewPod.findViewById(R.id.TotalTimeText);
    TextCurrentTime = (TextView) fragviewPod.findViewById(R.id.CurrentTimeText);

    // Retrieve the current date
    Calendar c = Calendar.getInstance();
    mYear = c.get(Calendar.YEAR);
    mMonth = c.get(Calendar.MONTH);
    mDay = c.get(Calendar.DAY_OF_MONTH);

    IntentFilter filt = new IntentFilter("fromService");
    RADIO_Live.this.registerReceiver(br, filt);

    IntentFilter Podfilt = new IntentFilter("fromServicePod");
    RADIO_Live.this.registerReceiver(PODbr, Podfilt);

    actBroadcast("null", "whatsplaying");

    ArrayList<CharSequence> dateadapterarray = new ArrayList<CharSequence>();

    int ArrayMarker = 0;
    for (int podtest = 1; podtest < 15; podtest++)  {
        MakeDateList(podtest);
        if (dayOfWeek != (1|7)) {
            podFileTest = cMonthName + " " + cDay + ", " + cYear;
            podDatesName[ArrayMarker] = podFileTest;
            String cYearTemp = cYear + "";
            String cMonthTemp = cMonth + "";
            if (cMonth >= 10) {
            } else {
                cMonthTemp = cMonthTemp.replace("0", "");
                cMonthTemp = "0" + cMonthTemp;
            }

            if (cDay > 9)   {
                podDates[ArrayMarker] = (cMonthTemp + "" + cDay + "" + cYearTemp.replace("20", ""));
            }
            if (cDay <= 9)  {
                podDates[ArrayMarker] = (cMonthTemp + "" + "0" + cDay + "" + cYearTemp.replace("20", ""));
            }
            ArrayMarker++;

        }
        if (dayOfWeek == (1|7) && (ArrayMarker > 0))    {
            ArrayMarker--;
        }
    }

    for (int buildtext = 0; buildtext < 14; buildtext++) {
        dateadapterarray.add(podDatesName[buildtext]);
    }

    fragviewPod = getLayoutInflater().inflate(R.layout.podcasts, null);
    Spinner datespinner = (Spinner) fragviewPod.findViewById(R.id.spinnerdate);
    Spinner hourspinner = (Spinner) fragviewPod.findViewById(R.id.spinnerhour);
    //Spinner hourspinner = (Spinner) mViewPager.findViewById(R.id.spinnerhour);

    ArrayAdapter<CharSequence> dateadapter = new ArrayAdapter<CharSequence>(RADIO_Live.this, android.R.layout.simple_spinner_item, dateadapterarray);
    dateadapter.setDropDownViewResource(android.R.layout.simple_spinner_dropdown_item);

    ArrayAdapter<CharSequence> houradapter = new ArrayAdapter<CharSequence>(RADIO_Live.this, android.R.layout.simple_spinner_item, R.array.hour_array);
    houradapter.setDropDownViewResource(android.R.layout.simple_spinner_dropdown_item);


    datespinner.setAdapter(dateadapter);
    hourspinner.setAdapter(houradapter);

    // Display the current date under "Today's Date" at the top
    updateCurrentDate();
    datespinner.setOnItemSelectedListener(new DateOnItemSelectedListener());
    hourspinner.setOnItemSelectedListener(new HourOnItemSelectedListener());

    Button livebutton = (Button) fragviewLive.findViewById(R.id.button_streamstartstop);
    //livebutton.setOnClickListener((View.OnClickListener) this);

    Button podplaybutton = (Button)fragviewPod.findViewById(R.id.button_pod_play);
    //podplaybutton.setOnClickListener((View.OnClickListener) this);

}

Update: This is where the views are inflated. I tried to inflate the two views into their own static LinearLayouts, but that's not working either.

So at the beginning of the main activity:

static LinearLayout livelayout;
static LinearLayout podlayout;

And then the fragments code. It literally is the code from an empty default application from Android Studio with my stuff stuffed in:

public static class DummySectionFragment extends Fragment {
    public DummySectionFragment() {
    }

    public static final String ARG_SECTION_NUMBER = "section_number";

    @Override
    public View onCreateView(LayoutInflater inflater, ViewGroup container,
            Bundle savedInstanceState) {
        TextView textView = new TextView(getActivity());
        textView.setGravity(Gravity.CENTER);
        Bundle args = getArguments();
        int test = args.getInt(ARG_SECTION_NUMBER);

        livelayout = (LinearLayout)inflater.inflate(R.layout.live, null);
        podlayout = (LinearLayout)inflater.inflate(R.layout.podcasts, null);

        inflater.getContext().getSystemService(Context.LAYOUT_INFLATER_SERVICE);
        int resID = 0;
        switch (test) {
            case 1:
                    resID = R.layout.live;
                    break;
            case 2: 
                    resID = R.layout.podcasts;
                    break;
        }
        //textView.setText(Integer.toString(args.getInt(ARG_SECTION_NUMBER)));
        View fragview = inflater.inflate(resID, null);
        return fragview;
    }
}

So to clarify, I have a main.xml which is just the header and the page adapter and then a live.xml and a podcast.xml.

Main.xml:

<android.support.v4.view.ViewPager         
xmlns:android="http://schemas.android.com/apk/res/android"
xmlns:tools="http://schemas.android.com/tools"
android:id="@+id/pager"
android:layout_width="match_parent"
android:layout_height="match_parent"
tools:context=".RADIO_Live" >

<!--
This title strip will display the currently visible page title, as well as the page
titles for adjacent pages.
-->
<android.support.v4.view.PagerTitleStrip android:id="@+id/pager_title_strip"
    android:layout_width="match_parent"
    android:layout_height="wrap_content"
    android:layout_gravity="top"
    android:background="#33b5e5"
    android:textColor="#fff"
    android:paddingTop="4dp"
    android:paddingBottom="4dp" />
</android.support.v4.view.ViewPager>

Live.xml:

<LinearLayout xmlns:android="http://schemas.android.com/apk/res/android"
android:id="@+id/tab1"
android:layout_width="fill_parent"
android:layout_height="fill_parent"
android:background="#ffffff"
android:orientation="vertical" >

<LinearLayout android:id="@+id/tab1.1"
        android:orientation="horizontal"
        android:layout_width="fill_parent"
        android:layout_height="wrap_content">
    <TextView android:layout_width="fill_parent"
        android:layout_height="wrap_content" android:layout_marginTop="15sp"
        android:layout_marginBottom="10sp" android:layout_marginLeft="30sp"
        android:layout_marginRight="30sp" android:textSize="18sp"
        android:text="@string/LiveTabBlurb" />
</LinearLayout>
<Button android:id="@+id/button_streamstartstop"
    android:layout_width="fill_parent" android:layout_height="wrap_content"
    android:layout_marginTop="10sp" android:layout_marginLeft="20sp"
    android:layout_marginRight="20sp" android:textSize="28sp"
    android:textStyle="italic" android:textColor="#FFFFFF" android:text="@string/ListenLiveText" android:onClick="LiveButtonClick" />

<ProgressBar android:layout_gravity="center"
    android:layout_height="100dp" android:layout_width="wrap_content"
    android:id="@+id/liveProgress" android:paddingTop="30dp"
    android:indeterminateBehavior="cycle" android:indeterminate="true"
    android:visibility="gone">
</ProgressBar>

<ProgressBar
    android:id="@+id/liveProgress"
    style="?android:attr/progressBarStyleLarge"
    android:layout_width="match_parent"
    android:layout_height="wrap_content"
    android:paddingTop="20dp"
    android:visibility="gone" />

</LinearLayout>

Podcasts.xml:

<LinearLayout xmlns:android="http://schemas.android.com/apk/res/android"
android:id="@+id/tab2" android:orientation="vertical"
android:layout_width="fill_parent" android:layout_height="fill_parent"
android:background="#ffffff">

<LinearLayout android:orientation="horizontal" android:layout_width="wrap_content"
    android:layout_height="wrap_content">
    <LinearLayout android:orientation="vertical" android:layout_width="160dp"
        android:layout_height="wrap_content">
        <TextView android:id="@+id/currentdateDescription"
            android:layout_width="wrap_content" android:layout_height="wrap_content"
            android:paddingTop="5px" android:text="Today's Date:" />
        <TextView android:id="@+id/currentdateDisplay"
            android:layout_width="wrap_content" android:layout_height="wrap_content"
            android:paddingBottom="5px" android:text="" />
    </LinearLayout>
    <LinearLayout android:orientation="vertical" android:layout_width="160dp"
        android:layout_height="wrap_content">
        <TextView android:id="@+id/selecteddateDescription"
            android:layout_width="wrap_content" android:layout_height="wrap_content"
            android:paddingTop="5px" android:text="Selected Date:" />
        <TextView android:id="@+id/selecteddateDisplay"
            android:layout_width="wrap_content" android:layout_height="wrap_content"
            android:paddingBottom="5px" android:text="None Selected" />
    </LinearLayout>
</LinearLayout>
<LinearLayout android:orientation="horizontal" android:layout_width="fill_parent"
    android:layout_height="wrap_content">
    <Spinner android:id="@+id/spinnerdate" android:layout_width="160dp"
        android:layout_height="wrap_content" android:prompt="@string/date_prompt" />
    <Spinner android:id="@+id/spinnerhour" android:layout_width="160dp"
        android:layout_height="wrap_content" android:prompt="@string/hour_prompt" />
</LinearLayout>
<Button android:id="@+id/button_pod_play"
    android:layout_width="fill_parent" android:layout_height="wrap_content"
    android:layout_marginLeft="20sp" android:layout_marginRight="20sp"
    android:paddingTop="5sp" android:layout_marginTop="10sp"
    android:textSize="28sp" android:textColor="#FFFFFF" android:textStyle="italic"
    android:text="@string/PlayPodText" android:onClick="PodButtonClick"/>
<SeekBar android:layout_width="fill_parent"
    android:layout_height="wrap_content" android:paddingTop="5dp"
    style="?android:attr/progressBarStyleHorizontal"
    android:layout_margin="10dp" android:id="@+id/seekBar" android:max="100"
    android:progress="0" />

<LinearLayout android:orientation="horizontal" android:layout_width="fill_parent"
    android:layout_height="wrap_content">

    <TextView android:id="@+id/CurrentTimeText"
        android:layout_width="60dp" android:layout_height="wrap_content"
        android:paddingTop="5px" android:textSize="18px" android:text="0:00" />
    <ProgressBar android:layout_gravity="center"
        android:layout_height="wrap_content" android:layout_width="fill_parent"
        android:id="@+id/podProgress" android:paddingTop="10px"
        android:indeterminateBehavior="cycle" android:indeterminate="true"
        android:visibility="gone">
    </ProgressBar>
    <TextView android:id="@+id/TotalTimeText"
        android:layout_width="fill_parent" android:layout_height="wrap_content"
        android:paddingTop="5px" android:gravity="right" android:textSize="18px"
        android:text="0:00" />
</LinearLayout>

</LinearLayout> 

Slightly more background. This app was actually 100% working, but I was using an ugly Android 2.0 days tabbed interface and wanted to update with a nice Holo interface with page view adapter. Not having ever done that before I tried it and I'm getting these problems.

UPDATE: I got some things working (kinda). When debugging my two spinners aren't null anymore, at least according to the debugger. But the app still crashes whenever any layout objects are accessed by the activity. If I try to set any of the textviews or the spinners it seems to either crash, or just not update the contents.

Fragments code:

public class SectionsPagerAdapter extends FragmentPagerAdapter {

    public SectionsPagerAdapter(FragmentManager fm) {
        super(fm);
    }

    @Override
    public Fragment getItem(int i) {
        //Fragment fragment = new DummySectionFragment();

        Fragment fragment;
        Bundle args = new Bundle();
        switch(i){
            case 0:
                fragment = new fragLive();
                args.putInt(fragLive.ARG_SECTION_NUMBER, i + 1);
                break;
            case 1:
                fragment = new fragPod();
                args.putInt(fragPod.ARG_SECTION_NUMBER, i + 1);
                break;
            default:
                fragment = new fragLive();
                args.putInt(fragLive.ARG_SECTION_NUMBER, i + 1);
                break;
        }

        fragment.setArguments(args);
        return fragment;
    }

    @Override
    public int getCount() {
        return 2;
    }

    @Override
    public CharSequence getPageTitle(int position) {
        switch (position) {
            case 0: return getString(R.string.title_section1).toUpperCase();
            case 1: return getString(R.string.title_section2).toUpperCase();
        }
        return null;
    }
}

/**
 * Two classes for the two layout fragments
 */
public class fragLive extends Fragment {
    public fragLive() {
    }

    public static final String ARG_SECTION_NUMBER = "section_number";

    @Override
    public View onCreateView(LayoutInflater inflater, ViewGroup container,
                             Bundle savedInstanceState) {
        TextView textView = new TextView(getActivity());
        textView.setGravity(Gravity.CENTER);
        Bundle args = getArguments();
        int test = args.getInt(ARG_SECTION_NUMBER);

        inflater.getContext().getSystemService(Context.LAYOUT_INFLATER_SERVICE);
        //textView.setText(Integer.toString(args.getInt(ARG_SECTION_NUMBER)));
        fragviewLive = inflater.inflate(R.layout.live, null);
        return fragviewLive;
    }
}

public class fragPod extends Fragment {
    public fragPod() {
    }

    public static final String ARG_SECTION_NUMBER = "section_number";

    @Override
    public View onCreateView(LayoutInflater inflater, ViewGroup container,
                             Bundle savedInstanceState) {
        TextView textView = new TextView(getActivity());
        textView.setGravity(Gravity.CENTER);
        Bundle args = getArguments();
        int test = args.getInt(ARG_SECTION_NUMBER);

        inflater.getContext().getSystemService(Context.LAYOUT_INFLATER_SERVICE);
        //textView.setText(Integer.toString(args.getInt(ARG_SECTION_NUMBER)));
        fragviewPod = inflater.inflate(R.layout.podcasts, null);
        return fragviewPod;
    }
}

Answer 1

The issue is with contextualization, which it is somewhat of a peculiar problem. The issue of context should be flattened and objects made available without any context or scope issues. But before waiting for such an update, we can use the solution displayed below.

i.e. When you set a mouse on click listener on a Button -inside- a fragment...

Example (null) Fragment Code:

MyButton.setOnClickListener(new View.OnClickListener(){

  @Override 
  public void onClick(View MyClickViewer) {

    //here the spinner is null?
    Spinner MySpinner = null; 

    //it is so result is null...
    MyClickViewer.findViewById(R.id.a_spinner);

  }

}

• the MyClickViewer lives inside the -context- of the Click View.
• the MySpinner lives inside the -context- of the Root View.

Example (not null) Spinner Retrieval:

//not null anymore...
Spinner MySpinner = 
  (Spinner)MyClickViewer.getRootView().findViewById(R.id.a_spinner);

The method getRootView() allows you to make 'fragment.xml' files without having to redefine your objects in any 'main.xml' file. On top of that, you can get any values from the Spinner since it is now referred and not null anymore.

Example (not null) Spinner Position:

MySpinner.getSelectedItemPosition()

Answer 2

You need to call findViewById() on your fragment's view:

Spinner datespinner = (Spinner) fragmentThatContainsSpinner.getView().findViewById(R.id.spinnerdate);

Answer 3

First check if you have R.id.spinnerdate in your main.xml layout.
If it is the case, then try the following:

Since you are using a FragmentActivity , inflate your layout first.

 private View myView;

 .....

myView = getLayoutInflater().inflate(R.layout.main, null);

and change the datespinner reference to:

Spinner datespinner = (Spinner) myView.findViewById(R.id.spinnerdate);